Bill Gallagher and the Power of Curiosity Values Tale

🇳🇿 NEW VALUES-BASED TEACHING RESOURCE 🇳🇿

✨ NO PREP | EDITABLE | CLASSROOM READY ✨

📘 Bill Gallagher and the Power of Curiosity

Looking for a meaningful way to teach values, innovation, and problem-solving through literacy?

Our latest Reading Responders resource shares the inspiring New Zealand story of Bill Gallagher, the inventor of the electric fence — and how curiosity, perseverance, and courage can change the world.

🌱 What’s included (24 editable slides):

✔️ A beautifully written values-based story

✔️ Discussion questions linked to key values

✔️ 8 multiple choice comprehension questions (with answers)

✔️ A bonus drawing task to spark creativity

✔️ NO PREP REQUIRED — just open and teach!

Perfect for:

📖 Literacy sessions

🌍 Values & local history

🧠 Critical and creative thinking

👩‍🏫 Busy teachers who want impact without extra prep

💡 One curious question. One simple idea. A powerful lesson for students.

📥 Download today from our online Reading Responders store

👉 Reading Responders — building curious minds and strong values through stories

A perfect tale to start a year!

Teacher Summary

This resource supports the New Zealand Curriculum through integrated English, Social Sciences, and Health learning. Students develop comprehension skills while exploring key values such as curiosity, perseverance, and innovation, and understanding how individual actions can positively impact communities.

🇳🇿 New Zealand Curriculum Alignment

Bill Gallagher and the Power of Curiosity

📘 English – Listening, Reading & Viewing

Achievement Objectives (Levels 2–4):

Students will:

• Read, respond to, and think critically about texts
• → Students engage with a values-based narrative, identifying key ideas, events, and messages about curiosity and perseverance.
• Show an understanding of ideas within, across, and beyond texts
• → Learners explore how Bill Gallagher’s curiosity led to innovation and discuss how values influence actions and outcomes.
• Recognise how texts are shaped for purpose and audience
• → Students examine how a biographical narrative is structured to teach values and inspire readers.

🗣️ English – Speaking, Writing & Presenting

Achievement Objectives (Levels 2–4):

Students will:

• Use oral language to share ideas confidently
• → Discussion questions support structured talk about values, problem-solving, and innovation.
• Create short written responses
• → Multiple choice questions and reflection tasks reinforce comprehension and reasoning.
• Organise ideas logically
• → Sequencing and discussion tasks help students explain cause and effect in Bill Gallagher’s life.

🌱 Social Sciences – Identity, Culture, and Organisation

Achievement Objectives (Levels 2–4):

Students will:

• Understand how people make decisions and take action
• → Students explore how Bill Gallagher identified a problem and responded through innovation.
• Understand how innovation can affect communities
• → Learners examine how the electric fence changed farming practices in New Zealand and globally.

💛 Health & Physical Education – Relationships with Other People

Achievement Objectives (Levels 1–3):

Students will:

• Demonstrate understanding of values and how they guide behaviour
• → The story explicitly links curiosity, perseverance, and helping others to positive outcomes.
• Develop respect for others and their contributions
• → Students recognise how individual strengths and ideas can benefit communities.

🧠 Key Competencies (NZC)

This resource strongly supports:

• Thinking – questioning, problem-solving, learning from mistakes
• Relating to Others – listening, sharing ideas, respecting different viewpoints
• Participating and Contributing – recognising how individuals can improve society
• Using Language, Symbols, and Texts – engaging with narrative, discussion, and comprehension tasks